Chuck, Until the Day I Die
by Kilobyte44
Summary: This is a re-imagining of the Chuck Series Finale. Chuck brings Sarah to their dream house to spark her lost memories and saves Sarah by diving in front of a bullet meant for her, but unlike on the show the bullet pierces his vest. This is the story of redemption as Sarah struggles to find out who she is and what Chuck means to her - with a satisfying end No Character Deaths!


**"Until The Day I Die"**

**A/N1: Hey everyone, this is my first story, well ever – so let's start with the disclaimers because getting sued isn't fun! I don't own Chuck (I wish, or some great writers here did, might have meant the show lasted a few more seasons). I do not own the Band "Story of the Year" nor did I write the song Until teh Day I Die. I'm just playing around with great characters and a song that struck me after think of the Chuck Series Finale.**

**The story is a re-envisioning of the Finale that breaks from cannon during Chuck vs Sarah, where Chuck takes a bullet for Sarah. So basically the story follows all of Canon (Season's 1,2,3,4 and 5 up to Chuck vs Sarah). The story begins right after Ellie incapacitates Sarah (Crashes the Car and picks up as Chuck brings Sarah to the Dream House. The Start and end of the story are a Chuck monologue, while the main story is events and dialogue. I was not a huge fan of the finale, thought that Fedak wasn't nearly as cleaver as he thought, so I tried to incorporate a few additional plot aspects and provide a more satisfying conclusion. Fair warning, the story is sad for a good portion (hard to write at times), remember Chuck vs Sarah really wasn't a feel good episode (ya I love understatement too, he). But give it a chance, I think you will be satisfied and the ending might just make you smile (don't want to give too much away, but trust me the story isn't a soul crushing tragedy… I'm not good enough, nor do I have the heart to pull that type of story off).**

**Finally, those anal retentive like me, or those who have heard the song will figure out the song lyrics are woefully out of order – I do not have selective dyslexia, this was done on purpose, call it creative license. Really, the lyrics fit well with my vision, but if left them in order it really would have made less sense and would have taken away from the story, you'll see if you made it through this A/N without running for the hills! **

**Character thoughts are in Italics, hopeful I was true to the characters – please let me know and shoot me a review or a message with any thoughts or advice – Thanks so much! Oh and I have not read any series finale redo stories, so hopefully I'm not stepping on any toes! Without further ado… Chuck, Until the Day I Die.**

* * *

_**"Until The Day I Die"**_

Chuck ran the tragic events through his mind, how had his life, his family's life gone so awry? But as he stood in their dream home, his and Sarah's, he did not care to play back the sad turn of events since the bullet train, since Quinn came into their lives.

Oh how I wish Sarah had not risked everything chasing Quinn, but that's why he loved her – she's a true hero that would do anything to save the world, OK that may seem a little melodramatic, but it's still true… she cares more than anyone I know, oh great now I'm rambling in my own mind. But here we are Chuck vs. Sarah, wow I never thought I would ever hear that – but in the end I will do anything to help my wife… to save her, even from herself. She would do the same if she still remembered me, heck she tore a swath of destruction through Thailand for me, how many guys can say that about their wife, their love?

Anyway, I tend to babble and even though this is an internal monologue – I swear I'm not crazy… it's just in pain and fire pulsing through my chest. Like I said, I would do anything for Sarah and I will protect her _until the day I die_. And as I lay bleeding on the floor of our dream house I just hope that today's not that day.

**Until the day I die  
I'll spill my heart for you, for you  
Until the day I die  
I'll spill my heart for you**

_**Earlier that Day…**_

As Chuck takes an unconscious Sarah into their dream home he quietly begs to himself and a higher power "this has to work, this has to work, this has to work," over and over.

Sarah awakens, but does not move or alert her captive of her return to consciousness as she covertly studies the environment. _OK I'm in a room, of a house probably… tied to a damn chair, great_, Sarah thought to herself.

Chuck breaks the silence "I know your awake, you may be good, but I am not a completely incompetent spy, you did teach me well."

Sarah looks with pure venom in her eyes at the bane of her existence, the man who killed her mentor, Graham and her partner, Bryce and the man who stole her memories.

Seething, Sarah lashes out struggling in vain against the ropes binding her to the stiff wooden chair: "so the truth comes out, you gonna torture me now? Or were you just waiting till I woke before you kill me? YOU DISGUST ME!" she spat.

Chuck raises his bowed head and looks upon his wife with sad, dejected eyes hoping his plan will save his Sarah and bring her back from the abyss.

Chuck begins, interrupted by Sarah cruelly spitting "you were always just a mark."

Pushing through the emotional pain Chuck tells her their story.

"I'm going to tell you a story… our story."

"We met at the Burbank Buymore, your ex-partner and my ex-best friend Bryce sent me something called the Intersect, all the secrets of the United States. You were sent to find that intel. I made a great first impression…" Chuck laughs and smiles to himself lost in the memory. "I was rapping Vic-a-Vic a Vicky Vale… it's from Batman," Chuck tells Sarah hoping she would remember. She stares blankly as he continues, "you said because that makes it better," I was so embarrassed, here was this gorgeous woman talking to me and I'm just a lowly nerd, a Nerd Herder no less."

Chuck pauses again deep in thought, "you need your phone fixed, which I did, but before we could talk more we were interrupted. A technologically challenged dad, with his little ballerina daughter was freaking out because he forgot to put a tape in his video camera before taping his daughter's recital. So I had to help, we had his daughter perform in front of all the TV's. The little girl was nervous because she was always in the back because she was too tall, I told her not to tell the other girls, but real ballerinas are tall. Years later you told me that even though you didn't know it at the time that was the moment you fell in love with me," Chuck smiled sadly at Sarah as she listened, still struggling against her bindings.

"You left before I could make more of a fool of myself, but you left your card. Remember I was and still am a nerd so I didn't think I had a shot so when you came back to the Buymore and basically asked me out I thought I died and went to heaven. So our fake first date was fun: dinner, lots of talking, I made you laugh. Then we went dancing, before an NSA team tried to extract me and you dragged me on a high speed chase. We ended up on a rooftop as you asked me about Bryce before Casey interrupted; you told me **Don't freak out**. Well I sort of did, and was about to run away until an Intersect flash told me of an attack. So all three of us rushed off to stop a bomb, well that is supposed to be you're and Casey's area of expertise, but… but, well I diffused it," Sarah looks curiously at Chuck

"You, a civilian, or so you would have me believe, disarmed a bomb that two field agents could not?"

"Yep, being a nerd has its advantages, the laptop on the bomb was susceptible to a nasty virus and I use the virus to fry the computer - stopping the bomb with porn."

"What, porn?" Sarah scoffed

"Oh, ah… uh I wanted to leave that part out. A… porn stars website was the source of the virus… so ya." Chuck smiled weakly as Sarah looked quizzically at the man before her.

"So later I left and went to the beach, what became our beach, where I could think… my whole life had changed after all. You found me and you asked me to trust you and that you would protect me and I would help you and Casey stop bad guys and bad things from happening."

"We became friends, I fell for you, but you couldn't have feelings for me… even though you did, because I was your asset and you were my handler. You couldn't open up and I always wanted something real… I wish I could tell you our relationship was nothing but happy, but honestly there was a lot of pain and we broke each other's hearts more than I wish to say," Chuck says, looking forlorn as he bears his soul.

Chuck smiles slightly, "our first kiss, our real first kiss was at the San Pedro Docks, romantic right? Ha… we thought we were about to die, blown up by a bomb we couldn't defuse. So I closed my eyes and waited to die, when you kissed me… You. Kissed. Me." Chuck looked straight into Sarah's eyes with an unflinching passion, an unwavering resolve.

Sarah was unable to look away. She began reeling, he wasn't lying… she had worked too long, been trained too well… he was telling the truth or believed he was. Thinking to herself, _what does this all mean?_ She quickly shook the thought, _it can't be, I don't believe it_ she thought fighting her own feelings.

Chuck began again, "life didn't get easier, Bryce who was suppose to have been killed stealing the Intersect came back, which put a crimp in our relationship twice, well three times," as he thought of the night Bryce died for real. Shaking his head Chuck continued, "before you ask Bryce died twice, the second time for real, he…he died in my arms," choking back a sob for his fallen friend.

"It took another two years of angst and drama and me really screwing up before... before I saved your life from Shaw in Paris. And we were finally together."

"It wasn't easy and you had trouble with a real relationship because of your past… your dad being a conman, you dad getting arrested in San Diego and Graham recruiting you, well Jenny Burton, into the CIA. It took a while for you to be comfortable, but eventually you moved in, you unpacked… you told me I was your home, which always makes me smile. We were married, happiest day of my life… it almost didn't happen, you were poisoned and the CIA burned us because we knew a terrible secret. So I did everything I could to save you, without the Intersect 2.0. As you can see your still here, you were saved and we were married and started a new life as freelance spies."

Sarah continued to look on incredulously as Chuck was barring his heart and soul to her.

Chuck reached into his back pants pocket, pulling out a switch blade. Sarah stiffened, eyes transfixed on the blade before looking into the man who had been trying so hard to convince her… _He's going to kill me know?_ she thought. As she struggled again against the binds she finally closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable, _the great Sarah Walker taken out by a nerd_, she scoffed in her own mind, _embarrassing_ she thought. Waiting for death she heard only a slicing sound and suddenly her bindings went limp. Opening her eyes Chuck had cut her free and had put away the knife.

Looking at her intently Chuck said, "I know you don't remember and that you're confused, but I love you, I always have and always will… until the day I die. You saved me from a lonely unfilled life and I vowed that you could always count on me."

Taking a deep cleansing breath Chuck continues, "You can take a chance on me, on us or you can take the Intersect glasses and help the Quinn, man who stole everything from you."

"Please, don't give up on us!"

Sarah looked upon Chuck as she rose from the chair rubbing her wrists and arms before saying in shock, "this is real, you love me?"

"With all my heart." Chuck replied without hesitation.

Sarah Scoffed and sneered at Chuck, "I did my job too well."

**My hands are at your throat  
And I think I hate you  
But still we'll say, "remember when"  
Just like we always do  
Just like we always do…**

**My hands are at your throat  
And I think I hate you  
We made the same mistakes  
Mistakes like friends do**

Despite his promise, Chuck had to protect the Intersect. In response Sarah began mercilessly beating chuck, who refuses to fight back against his love, his wife. Blow after blow, strike after strike rained down upon Chuck as he was thrown and kicked throughout the dream house.

Chuck tries to pin Sarah, but she reverse his maneuver and ends up on top of Chuck straddling his waist, her hands like a vice grip squeezing his throat. Sarah looks into his panicked eyes before throwing a mighty right hand into his face, stunning him and allowing her to jump to her feat. Chuck groans in pain as Sarah recovers her silver Smith and Wesson from her gear that Chuck so kindly brought into the dream home after capturing her.

She stares at his form, in pain on the ground. She points her weapon at him preparing to fire.

Chuck looks up into her eyes, "you can kill me, I will never hurt you."

As her finger begins to squeeze the trigger she notices the doorframe… a carving that stops her in her tracks. She stares frozen at the carving… CHUCK and SARAH.

"I wrote that," she mumbles in utter shock, her face ghostly pale.

As she turns to Chuck looking for some explanation, the homes front door bursts open.

Quinn grabs the Intersect glasses from the floor of the home that had been discarded during the melee.

Quinn laughs a deranged laugh as he informs Sarah of his betrayal,

"I used you to get what was mine, I took your memories and had you destroy your own husband your own family… and now you both die."

With a dark, emotionless expression Quinn raises his Desert Eagle pistol, pointing it at point blank range at Sarah's shocked form.

Sarah turns to run, but at that range there is no chance of escaping the large 50 Caliber round. Sarah's life flashes before her as she hears the awful bark of the pistol recoiling, but as she waits for pain and death… they do not come as she hits the ground and rolls into a defensive position and cover. She turned realizing Quinn had cut his losses and has escaped with the glasses. She looks down to see Chuck lying on the ground in the line of fire, writhing in pain.

She looks upon the man who dove in front of a bullet for her, she asks shocked, "Why?"

Chuck responds with a raspy, labored voice "I love you and will protect you no matter what… till death..."

Tires screech and sirens blare indicating that law enforcement is approaching the house. Summoning all his strength, Chuck tells Sarah, "RUN, I'm wearing a vest… you have to get out of here, to safety."

She looks upon his face before rushing out the back door of the dream house, not seeing the small pool of blood growing around Chuck's side.

Chuck says to himself, through a pained self deprecating half-smile/half-grimace, before losing consciousness, "well that could have gone better," before succumbing to the darkness.

**Should I bite my tongue?  
Until blood soaks my shirt  
We'll never fall apart  
Tell me why this hurts so much**

Casey arrives at the dream home to find Chuck bleeding on the floor from the bullet wound that penetrated the right back/side of his vest as he dove to save Sarah. He was unlucky as the close range high caliber round was not stopped by the bullet proof armor. Well, he was either unlucky or Quinn used Teflon tipped rounds designed to pierce armor.

Casey immediately calls for a MEDEVAC chopper to get Chuck to Westside Medical Center.

"EMS Response 10 Minutes out," the dispatcher responds.

Casey growls, "THAT'S TOO LONG, GRRR… I'll CASAVAC him out myself!" shouting vehemently into the phone before nearly breaking the cell with the force of his finger striking the touch screen ending the call.

"Dammit Kid, you are not dying on me, you hear me soldier," Casey shouts at Chuck, who is coming in and out of consciousness as he carries Chuck to the Crown Vic at a flat out run.

Chuck weakly looks at Casey, "did you call me soldier, are those lady feelings Casey?" Chuck smiles, before grimacing and losing consciousness again.

Casey quietly says "moron" and almost chuckles before turning serious again.

As Casey opens the Vic's rear door and puts Chuck on the back seat he thinks aloud, "the morons going to ruin the prisoner containment area… how many Crown Vic's will Chuck destroy?" As Casey takes off at a high speed rushing to Westside Medical.

Rushing to the Hospital, weaving in and out of traffic, Casey hears a moan from the back seat.

"C-C-Casey?" Chuck weakly calls.

"Ya kid, I'm getting you to help, where's Sarah?"

"S…She's gone." Chuck responds before passing out again from the pain.

Casey looking back speeds up driving faster and more recklessly. He tried to stabilize the kid the best he could but Chuck was still bleeding and had already lost a lot of blood.

"Hang on Chuck, don't you die on me!"

**Until the day I die (Until the day I die)  
I'll spill my heart for you  
Until the day I die (Until the day I die)  
I'll spill my heart for you**

In her room at the Maison 23, Sarah is pacing with her had near her mouth, biting her nails at the mess her life has become. She is packing but continues to lose focus, finding her pacing once again.

She thinks aloud, "Quinn is evil and Chuck loves me, took a bullet for me… AGHHHHH why can't I remember!" She screams.

"Do I go to Chuck? I attacked his family, wait oh god m-my family? Oh god I need to remember, what do I do? Go after Quinn? Go to Chuck? Go to the CIA? Where do I go, who do I trust when I can't even trust myself or my memories? Great just great Walker… OK, Don't Freak Out."

As her inner debate continues she hears her room's door begin to open, with lightning quick reflexes she grabs her Smith and Wesson 5906 and points it at the threat.

Casey with his hands raised enters the room holding a DVD, his hands and shirt still bloody from Chuck's wound.

"You recognize me, you know who I am…" Casey says.

She responds, "Casey right, NSA? Why are you covered in blood?"

"Your boy toy took a bullet, pierced his vest, he's lucky Ellie told me where he was going. Chuck's in bad shape, He's fighting for his life in surgery right now." Casey told Sarah.

Sarah stood bone still in a pale shock.

Casey staring directly into Sarah's eyes asks in a low, deadly tone, "I will ask you only once, did you shoot Bartowski, did you SHOOT Chuck?"

"No" Sarah quietly replied, "he… he jumped in front of me when Quinn tried to shoot me… he saved me." Sarah then looked down sad and ashamed "I... I didn't know he was hurt, he told me to go, to get away."

Casey looked at Sarah, "either way you lucky, Chuck would never forgive me if I killed you, hell I don't even want to think of what he'd do to me, funny that little nerd can do anything… even save the souls of two heartless agents. Besides, you're the best partner I ever had, and a friend, just like Chuck."

Sarah studied Casey uncertain of what to make of the NSA killer.

Casey continued, "You recognize me? What do you know?"

Sarah regarded Casey briefly before saying, "you're by the book, cold school, unquestioning of your orders… a Killer."

Casey grunts and gives Sarah a small half-smile, "funny, sounds just like you before you met Chuck, Graham's wild card enforcer."

Sarah studies Casey cautiously.

Casey with a thoughtful expression adds, "Chuck changed us both, we protected him, but he saved us… damn lady feelings… he wormed his way into two broken people, made us better."

"He's at Westside Medical Center, all the family is there." Casey looks at the Disk in his hands before throwing it to her, "Here, I want you to look at this, you may not believe the truth yet, but maybe this will help."

With that Casey left Sarah with the disk. After carefully checking the disk for what felt like hours, she decided she had to see what was on the DVD… to see what Project Bartowski was… and maybe who she was now.

As the disk began to play Sarah listened to herself as she gave her mission reports, she heard from her own mouth about her last five years with Chuck and Casey and the rest of their family and friends.

She was shocked and looked on in fascination as she described the good and the bad, the funny and the sad, until she came to her final declaration on screen, "I love Chuck Bartowski… and I don't know what to do." Hearing this admission she knew she had to go to Westside Medical, even though her training is screaming at her to run. This is something she knows she has to do… she may not feel the love she declared on the screen, but something won't let her leave.

**You remind me of the times  
When I knew who I was (I was)  
But still the second hand will catch us  
Like it always does**

As Sarah cautiously enters Westside she walks to the front desk, "I'm looking for Chuck Bartowski… he was shot." She asks in a hushed voice.

The young attendant regards Sarah before asking, "Are you family?

Sarah freezes, how to answer that question? Ever the spy, Sarah recovers quickly, "yes, I'm his wife."

She doesn't think it is lie, but she still has no memory of the last five years of her life with Chuck… _I didn't know people still named their kids chuck? Huh why am I thinking of carnival freaks and… Morgan? I must be losing my mind._

The attendant gives her a small, sympathetic smile, "He's in room 402, he got out of surgery, but… um… his Doctors can tell you more, he has the best looking after him.

Sarah thanks the attendant before making her way to room 402.

Standing outside the door, Sarah cannot comprehend her terror, she is freaking out. She has defused bombs, assassinated terrorists, been tortured and yet nothing has scared her more than what awaits her behind this blue Hospital door.

She stands frozen thinking to herself, _how do I face this man? How do I face his family, my family, who I threatened? I… I put him here_, she laments as a single tear escapes.

A passing nurse, a grey haired women looks at Sarah's lost and conflicted visage and asks: "honey are you OK?"

Sarah is broken from her reverie; she thinks to herself _of course I'm not_, but instead offers a weak smile to the nurse before saying, "Yes, I'm just working up the courage."

The nurse gives Sarah and odd look before shaking her head and deciding to continue down the hall.

Sarah takes a deep breath before slowly opening the door…

**Until the day I die (Until the day I die)  
I'll spill my heart for you  
Until the day I die (Until the day I die)  
I'll spill my heart for you**

**Yeah I'd spill my heart!  
Yeah I'd spill my heart for you!**

Sarah enters the room, swiftly scanning and memorizing every aspect of the private room, searching for threats… her training/situational awareness kicking in. Seeing no threats, only a man unconscious in a bed in the stark white room, surrounded my machines beeping in a dreary cadence. Chuck has tubes and IV's protruding from his body as he lies pale and perfectly still. As she is transfixed upon his still form the room's door opens.

Clip board in hand, Ellie enters Chuck's room, eyes red and bloodshot from crying. Sarah flinches and closes her eyes as she awaits Ellie's revenge… but the attack doesn't come. Sarah is shocked that the women she held hostage is not lashing out at her.

Ellie looks forlornly at Chuck, "He's in a coma," she says in almost a whisper. The pain in Ellie's voice is almost more than Sarah can bear.

Ellie looks at Sarah and smiles weakly, "I'm glad you're here, Chuck would have wanted you with family no matter what."

Sarah is taken aback by the kindness of the women she kidnapped, the women whose family she threatened. Sarah knew she was the cause of so much pain, _how is Ellie not screaming or trying to kill me _she thought?

Ellie studies Sarah looking upon the shocked and tormented expression that telegraphs Sarah's inner thoughts. Ellie then smiles at Sarah, "we don't blame you."

It is simple but it shakes Sarah to her core, she shakily responds, "How did you know… why aren't you mad, I caused this?"

"Oh sweetie, you didn't cause this and this isn't your fault. And even if it was we are family, we're sisters - even if you don't remember. And no matter what, families don't keep score and we Bartowski stick together, we never stop, we never give up, and we never go too far… huh I told Chuck that once when he needed a push to fight to get you back." Ellie smiles whimsically before the memory of the tragic turn of events wipes the smile from her tired face.

Ellie takes a deep breath, "He loves you, you know and I love you and that is not going to change."

"Are you going to stay?" Ellie asks hesitantly eyes begging for Sarah to stay, to remember.

"Sarah looks away from Ellie to Chuck's still form, "I don't know, I… I don't think he would want me to."

"That's where you're wrong. Sweetie you may not remember, but you have to understand, Chuck would never, ever want you to leave." Ellie says,

"He needs you, we…" Ellie chokes back a tortured sob and tries to will herself not to cry, but it's in vain. She re-gains a modicum of composure before continuing, "We don't know if he's going to wake up, if he's going to make it… he will need you, please stay with him. You will be safe here, I promise."

Sarah looks hard at Ellie, searching for deceit, but finding only honesty and pain behind her brown eyes. Sarah looks toward Chuck before quietly responding,

"OK…I'll stay"

**We'll make the same mistakes  
I'll take the fall for you  
I hope you need this now  
Cause I know I still do**

Hours later there is no change in Chuck's condition, as Sarah sits by his side willing herself to remember the man before her, but having no success. Ellie returns to check on Chuck and hands a tired and confused Sarah a cup of coffee. Ellie regards his brother's wife before saying, "Coffee isn't great, but what can you expect from a hospital…" Ellie laughs pathetically at her bad joke before turning back to Sarah,

"How are you doing, how are you holding up?" Ellie asks.

"I could ask you the same question," Sarah responds with a ghost of a smile on her face.

Ellie smiles slightly and decides not to push Sarah; rather, Ellie walks toward her brother and begins checking his vitals.

Sarah summons the courage to ask, "Ellie, I never asked… what are his injuries and I… I thought he was wearing a vest?"

Ellie looks up at Sarah, "Sorry, we forgot to tell you… yes he was wearing a vest… I wasn't there during the surgery so I don't know what the bullets were or for sure why it pierced the vest… Casey said it was high caliber, and either Chuck was unlucky, or the vest was faulty, or most likely Quinn was using Teflon rounds, which would have rendered the vest basically useless… beyond that we don't know." Ellie than steels herself before going into 'Doctor-Mode,'

"The bullet struck posterior-laterally on his right side… he was lucky if it hit on the other side in may have hit or nicked the aorta, the vena cava, or god forbid his heart… he would have died in minutes. The bullet did not exit, it entered his scapula fracturing it and causing the bullet to break-up, which lacerated his lung. So they had to find the bullet, repair the lung and had to find some bleeders that were caused by the trauma… he lost a lot of blood. He was placed in a medically induced coma… and now he has to wake up on his own. It could take hours, days or weeks… or he may never wake up."

Sarah took in the description, a pained expression growing on her delicate features, "What can I do," Sarah asked weakly.

"Talk to him, show him you're here, that he has something to fight for," Ellie told Sarah.

Sarah almost silently asked, "What do I say?"

Ellie did not hear Sarah's almost silent question, rather Ellie walked toward the rooms closet where she grabbed Chuck's black fleece Buymore jacket, handing it to Sarah.

"Here, it's cold and Chuck would kill me if I let you get sick while trying to help him… even if you don't remember, he will always want you looked after." Ellie says with a soft smile.

Sarah takes the offered coat, she is chilled, but she is used to pushing through cold or pain… or emotions. But she can't refuse this kind gesture, so she accepts the gift graciously with a small "thanks." She thinks to herself, _I have done enough to these people, I can't hurt them more by refusing their attempts to help… beside I am cold_…

**Until the day I die  
I'll spill my heart for you, for you**

Ellie leaves Sarah by Chuck's side and Sarah slips into the jacket, Chuck's jacket, as she stares at his still face and body as the medical equipment beeps in a staccato rhythm. She smells Chuck's scent wafting from his jacket that surrounds her… she cannot understand why it comforts her. Yet there is a fuzzy sense… a feeling, as if there is something on the tip of her tongue that she cannot quite figure out. It's as if there is a memory, or all her memories are right there, yet she still can't remember… Chuck feels so right, but still her memories elude her.

Despondent over her failure, her failure to remember, Sarah begins to look back at her life, the life she still remembers. She plays back her life… all the cons of her youth, her father getting arrested and Graham recruiting her, the years and years of missions, lying and death as an Agent of the CIA… but still she cannot reclaim the last five years of her life.

As she stares at Chuck she can feel… something, but she doesn't recognize the feeling, she can't identify it… it is so like something she has only felt for two other people in her life, her parents, yet it is different… it unsettles her.

She rises from her chair wiping her hands on her jeans nervously as she begins to pace. She shakes her hands before beginning to chew at her lip and then at her fingernails… she catches her nervous fiddling and admonishes herself. To keep her hands occupied and warm she stuffs them unceremoniously in the pockets of Chuck's jacket that drapes over her slender frame.

As she places her hands in the pockets she halts as she feels something in the left pocket… _paper?_ She has a quizzical expression as she grabs the offending object, it is in fact a folded piece of paper, and she thinks to herself, _Hum, I wonder what this is?_ Pulling the folded paper from her pocket she studies it_… Japanese… part of a magazine?_ "This is so strange… why does Chuck have a piece of a Japanese magazine folded in his pocket, can Chuck read Japanese? Casey did say he could do anything…"

She is about to discard the paper because despite being fluent in well over eight languages, Japanese is not one she knows, she was stationed in mainly Europe due to her appearance she thinks to herself.

As she is about to throw out the apparent "trash" she flips over the sheet of paper and freezes.

**Until the day I die (Until the day I die)  
I'll spill my heart for you  
Until the day I die (Until the day I die)  
I'll spill my heart for you**

**You remind me of the times  
When I knew who I was (I was)  
But still the second hand will catch us  
Like it always does**

On the other side of the page she was studying is a drawing, of a man and a woman holding a baby… in front of a home with a picket fence, "That looks like Mom's house," Sarah quietly says to herself.

She stares at the image before her, mesmerized by it.

As she continues to look upon the image of a dream she thought she had long ago abandoned, suddenly her mind begins to reel and the room begins to spin. Her mind goes into overdrive. She stiffens as image after image after image flood into her mind, she feels a flush of heat and feels as if her heads is about to explode.

Sarah suddenly breaks from her trance and immediately falls to her knees unable to support her own weight. He body is wracked with sobs as she curls into a ball, before she begins to dry heave. She crawls shakily to the corner of the room where she grips a small trash can as if it were the only thing holding her to this planet, as she heaves again before vomiting the meager contents of her stomach into the trash can.

She cries out in anguish, "Oh god what have I done…"

Ellie, Awesome and Casey are talking in the waiting area outside Chuck's room, as Morgan and Alex are out grabbing food and less terrible coffee for everyone. As the three quietly talk about Chuck and his prognosis they hear a scream of anguish from the room before them. They look at each other before leaping to their feet and rushing into Chuck's room. They find Sarah curled up on the floor in the fetal position near the trash can repeating, "What have I done," over and over.

Casey is shocked at the sight of Walker… Sarah so broken… _just like Thailand he thinks to himself._

Devon and Ellie rush to Sarah's side. Sarah latches onto Ellie in a crushing hug, crying uncontrollably.

"Oh Ellie, I hurt him, I hurt him so bad, I hurt all of you… I-I … remember… everything." Sarah cries again as she buries her face into Ellie's shoulder, still holding on for dear life.

Ellie wants to squeal at the top of her lungs in joy, joy that Sarah's back, but for one she isn't suppose to deafen small children in the Hospital and Chuck's condition stifles any further thoughts of celebration.

Ellie moves Sarah into the bedside chair before getting Devon and Casey to get another bed brought into the room for Sarah.

As they wait, Ellie coos to Sarah, stroking the teary red eyed blonde telling her Chuck's alive, that they all love her and that she has nothing to apologize for."

Sarah continues to cry, but is beginning to regain some control over her pent up, unbalanced emotions and the utter shock to her system of all her memories of the past five years hitting her all at once. The experience nearly tore her asunder.

"Ellie," Sarah asks in a soft, almost childlike voice, "is Chuck going to be OK?"

"I can't live without him…" Sarah says before crying again.

Ellie holds her own anguish as she looks deep into Sarah Stormy ocean blue eyes.

"Sarah, we, we don't know," Ellie shushes Sarah as she begins to cry harder, "Listen Sarah, he lost a lot of blood, but surgery went well… it was touch and go for a while and yes he is in a coma, but he just needs to wake up… there is no lasting damage or brain damage to worry about, OK? I'm not going to lie to you…" Ellie begins to cry losing her ability to hold back the torrent of tears, "he may not wake up, but we can't give up, it will take some time as his body recovers… all we can do is talk to him, tell him we love him… he needs to hear he has something to fight for, something to come back too… he needs you."

Sarah takes a shaky breath and steadies herself, "OK, let's do this."

**Until the day I die (Until the day I die)  
I'll spill my heart for you  
Until the day I die (Until the day I die)  
I'll spill my heart for you**

**Yeah I'd spill my heart!**  
**Yeah I'd spill my heart for you!**

A week passes since Sarah found herself again. Chuck has been visited by his family (Ellie, Awesome, Morgan, Casey and Mary, even Emma and Molly visited), friends, even the Buymoron's have visited… but Chuck remains lost in a dream world.

Team Bartowski was still hopeful, but more and more afraid of losing Chuck as the days passed.

Sarah had barely left his side, looking tired and broken. Ellie had to force her to sleep and eat. Sarah would fight Ellie saying she was fine, she was not hungry, she was not tired, but Ellie would look at Sarah, "What would Chuck do if he saw you like this?" This would crush Sarah's resolve and always led her to follow "Doctor's Orders."

After getting some ordered rest and dealing with another bought of nausea that she had successfully hid from Ellie and the others, she thought to herself, _no need to worry anyone over getting nauseous and sick… besides with what I've done how could I not be sick to my stomach?_

She returned to Chuck's side to continue to talk with her Chuck, preying he would come back to her… he is her lifeline after all.

**As years go by  
I race the clock with you  
But if you died right now  
You know that I'd die too  
I'd die too  
**

Days past and Sarah found herself in her same old spot sitting next to Chuck talking in earnest.

"I hope you can hear me Chuck, I feel silly like we are back in Thailand and I'm telling you that I love you with or without the intersect… and that I do want to marry you… and begging you to come back to me." She smile through tears, "you really need to stop doing this to me you know buster."

Sarah smiles again, "Here are couple of things you might need to know or maybe you just forgot… I remember, I remember everything and I am so, so sorry. It was your drawing, from the bullet train that did it… see you saved me, again, even from a Hospital bed."

Through tears she continued, "Chuck I love you and I really need you to wake up," blowing out a deep breath.

"OK, I didn't want to say this until you woke up, but since your being your usual stubborn self, I guess I have to spill it now."

Just outside the room, Ellie looked on spying on the conversation, what? She learned from the best! Ellie watched as Sarah poured her heart out again for what seemed like the hundredth time since Chuck was shot. It brought a smile to her face at how far Sarah had truly come from the closed off spy she was before she met Chuck… and that everyone witnessed after her memories were stolen. Ellie shivered at the memories of Sarah the cold spy that came before the nerdy Bartowski therapy.

Sarah took a steadying breath, "OK… so when I got my memories back I freaked out… I even threw up, ya not my proudest moment. Ellie really helped, you know?

"Anyway, remember the bullet train, before I went off after Quinn… when you drew me the picture of us and our dream house and our… family? Well, I have been so worried about you that I have been making myself sick… literally. I didn't tell anyone because Ellie was already going super doctor on me about eating and sleeping…"

"Well, I have been getting sick a lot lately… and we spent our reunion in that little honeycomb bunk bed on the bullet train… so I went out and bought a test…"

"I'm scared Chuck, I freaked out… again and I haven't told anyone yet – you had to be the first to know…"

Taking a steadying breath, with shaking hands Sarah grasped Chuck's right hand in hers, before exhaling loudly.

"Chuck… Don't. Freak. Out. I love you… and… and…"

Ellie looked on, mouth open in shock.

"I'm pregnant Chuck; you're going to be a daddy…"

Ellie fell to the ground in shock. Devon rushed to her side, "Ellie what's wrong, are you OK?" Devon asks a mile a minute.

Ellie thought to herself, _my baby brother's going to be a father…_

Despite herself Ellie turned to Devon and replied, "I'm fine… everything is awesome," as she beamed at Devon with a thousand watt Bartowski grin.

Sarah smiled brightly at Chuck, tears in her clear blue eyes and streaking down her rose cheeks.

"I'm gonna need you, you know. So can you stop being so damn stubborn and just come back to me honey?"

The machines continued to beep away, as Sarah again began to lose hope.

Then, the beeping began to become faster and faster… Sarah began to panic fearing Chuck was slipping away.

Sarah yelled for Ellie, who raced into the room just as Chuck twitched, before groaning. He began to move slowly at first almost imperceptibly at first, before moving more and more on the Hospital bed.

Chuck cried out as if having a nightmare, "I-I love you Sa-Sarah, until the day I die…"

"Don't leave me!"

Chuck, exhausted closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Sarah panicked, yelling at Ellie, "Ellie do something don't let him die, please, please don't let him die!" Sarah cried distraught.

Ellie and Awesome check the machines and Chuck's vitals ignoring the crying spy for the moment. Suddenly, Ellie stopped and looked at her husband… they exchanged a knowing glance before breaking into wide smiles.

"Sarah you need to calm down, he isn't dying, he's alive, he is just asleep – he's back… out of the coma… look normal brain function, see!" As Ellie points to the monitor.

"He's OK? He's out of the coma!" Sarah's smile split her face. She let out a breath before crushing Ellie in a massive bear hug that would put even Ellie's most crushing hugs to shame.

Ellie smiled at the joy of her little sister, "you got your Romeo back… MOMMY!"

Sarah began to cry, but these were tears of joy.

"Wow Ellie, we knew you were a great interrogator, but since when did you become a spy? Sarah asks Ellie with a wry, teasing grin.

"Not a spy Sarah, just a really, really nosey sister and proud of it! I am so happy for you two, we love you and congratulations!"

"Ya Sarah! Congrats on the little one, that's AWESOME!" Devon boomed, "High five!"

Ellie smiled at her man-child husband before grabbing him and dragging him out of the room to give Sarah some alone time before Chuck woke fully, but before leaving Ellie said, "Thank you Sarah, you saved him and I will set an appointment for you to see the best OB/GYN in the city," before continuing out of the room.

**Yeah I'd spill my heart!  
Yeah I'd spill my heart for you!**

Hours later Chuck arose from his slumber, his throat was parched and his eyes burned as he slowly opened them to the harsh florescent lights of his Hospital room. He made a quick silent prayer that he had escaped his nightmare that haunted him.

"Water…" He rasped out still unable to see clearly.

A straw was placed in his mouth and he drank greedily. He closed his eyes and took a deep, contented breath.

He opened his eyes, his vision now clear, he beheld a blonde halo shrouded by an ethereal light and penetrating blue eyes staring at him intently.

"Angel," Chuck gasped out, the only thing he could say.

Sarah beamed at him as a giant smile grew upon her face as she snorts out a half laugh at her delirious husband.

Chuck smiled, "MY Angel."

"Sarah… are… are you OK?" Chuck tentatively asked fearing the answer. He had dreamed many horrible things, yet some were soothing, like his wife and family and friends talking to him… of Sarah remembering him, but he was uncertain what was real and what was created by his imagination.

"Oh Chuck, you are the only person who would wake from a coma and ask if I'm OK."

They both smiled at one another and Chuck regarded Sarah hesitantly, "Are, are you back?"

She smiles at Chuck, "Yep, you're not getting rid of me that easily… or ever if I have anything to say about it! Especially in my condition."

Sarah smiled as Chuck's face scrunched up in confusion

"Huh, did I get brain damage or re-Intersected or I don't know? I don't understand… Condition?" Chuck rambled.

"Yep my condition and it is All. Your. Fault!" Sarah says with a wry, teasing smile.

Sarah giggled at Chuck's perplexed expression, OK she knew she shouldn't be teasing right after coming out of a coma, _but he is just so adorable when he is confused, and it happens so rarely I better enjoy it_, Sarah thought to herself.

Sarah composes herself, "Well you still ramble, that's a good sign."

She continues, "You must not remember my little speech… Daddy." As she gently touched her stomach and looked at Chuck, eyes wide with vulnerability.

Chuck gasped in total shock, "really?"

"Yep."

"Really?"

"I'm not lying or making this up here Chuck," Sarah says as she smiles again at Chuck.

"Don't Freak Out, K."

"OK" Chuck responded,

Outside the Hospital room a radio softly plays atop a janitor's cart, the sound drifting softly into the room. The song plays tenderly, as the singer Jason Mraz offers the poignant melody, _"I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough… I'm giving you all my love…"_

"You're OK, You're… happy?" Chuck asks fearful of the answer wincing waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Best day of my life, you" Sarah asks.

"Never been better, best day ever!" Chuck responds with a blinding smile. "You saved me Sarah… you're my protector, but I will always be there for you."

"Promise?" Sarah said with a shy smile.

"Promise!"

**You remind me of the times  
When I knew who I was (I was)  
But still the second hand will catch us  
Like it always does**

**We'll make the same mistakes**  
**I'll take the fall for you**  
**I hope you need this now**  
**Cause I know I still do**

And that led us here, me and Sarah sitting together on the beach staring at the ocean and the setting sun. Quinn never stood a chance, together we are the best – Team Bartowski. We stopped him and protected the Intersect and earned our freedom from the shadow and shackles of the technology my father created. And now we are able to move on with our plans for a safer future in cyber security, we have a family on the way after all.

We are at peace on our beach. Thinking back, Sarah and my story could be seen as one of pain, hurt, angst and tragedy. But really, our story is one of redemption… we never gave up on each other. At times all seemed lost as we fell from our path and lost our way, but together a broken spy and a broken nerd healed one another. And now, we have a family to start and protect and a future to forge together. And we will succeed; we have overcome too much to fail now. Our love means too much to give up… and after all we are Bartowski's and we never give up. We will be together – Chuck, Sarah and our children. And I will do everything I can to make sure my family is safe and happy, whatever it takes… until the day I die.

**Until the day I die (Until the day I die)  
I'll spill my heart for you, for you  
Until the day I die (Until the day I die)  
I'll spill my heart for you  
Until the day I die (Until the day I die)  
Until the day I die!**

* * *

**A/N2: So I hope you enjoyed my first story and that you liked the ending. Like I said I had a major problem with the uncertainty of the series finale and like the beginning of Season three I felt like the producers et al decided to create excess angst and added uncertainty. I see this short finale as being open ended; however, Sarah as an evolving character is not left, well destroyed. Here I tried to show the polarity of Sarah and her evolution as a person on the show. I also hope you caught some of the not too obvious show references, I never really got why the drawing from the bullet train was not utilized and I loved adding Sarah using Chuck's episode intro (Particularly season 2) in this story. Hope you enjoyed my first and probably poor attempt at creative writing!**


End file.
